Tom smiled as he looked over at Angie.  “Mike said you had the most darling little girl, and he wasn’t kidding!”

Bette and Tina smiled back at him.

“Well, we are glad you were able to join us, Tom” Bette said warmly, in response.

As their food came, they continued to chat easily about Tom’s and Mike’s work together, before shifting to goings on in the city.  Tom felt increasingly comfortable with Bette and Tina as they talked, enough so that he began to regale them with tales of his misadventures in other countries.  Mike tried to “one-up” him, in the stories department, in jest, and the women laughed out loud at the antics of both men, as they gamely competed for “craziest stunt pulled.”

As they waited for dessert, Tina asked him, “So what do you have planned for tomorrow, Tom?

He frowned a little, and shrugged his shoulders.  “Not much actually.  I was thinking of meeting with my senior staff early in the morning, before…”

Bette laughed and tapped him lightly on the forearm, “Oh, you can’t be serious, Tom!  It’s Memorial Day weekend.  Let them have some fun!  They’re in New York, for crying out loud…”

Tina smiled at Tom, as he blushed again, glancing quickly at Bette before doing so.

“Well, why don’t you join the barbecue we’d mentioned earlier?  We plan to drive up early tomorrow morning, with another couple.” Tina asked.

She paused, then gave Tom a small grin, “Umm… one thing though.  The couple … they’re lesbians.   And, as I’m sure Mike has told you … um… Bette and I are also a gay couple.  We’re married, they’re not, but ….”

Tom grinned back at Tina, then at Bette, “Look … I know that that can be an uncomfortable topic for people in the service.  And that there is a policy… an internal policy, I might add.”

He paused, then added, “You love who you love, that’s my policy.”

He turned to Bette to ask,“ Look, why don’t you text me the address of Logan’s place.  It’s Logan, right?  I’ll have use of my own car tomorrow, and if it works out, I can make my way to Logan’s.  I was about to say earlier that I was going to have a meeting with a fleet admiral tomorrow, which is why I wanted to meet with my senior staff first.”

Bette smiled back at him, thinking, I like this guy.  He’s one of the good guys.  I hope he does become an admiral.

She answered, “Well, I hope we see you at the barbecue, then.  Logan throws the best parties in the Hamptons, so I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

“Oh, I’m sure I will, knowing you and Tina will be there!” he responded with a laugh.